Please Teach Me Gently How to Breathe
by SkyBlue35
Summary: Mulder has a bad cold, and Dr. Scully is there to make him feel better. But is a hot bowl of soup really all he needs?
1. Please Teach Me Gently How to Breathe

Name: Please Teach Me Gently How to Breathe

Summary: Mulder has a bad cold, and Dr. Scully is there to make him feel better. But is a hot bowl of soup really all he needs?

Pairing: Mulder/Scully

Rating: M

Spoilers: Up to about "D.P.O.," season 3

This is my first attempt at an X-Files fic. It's pure Sculder fluff 'cause that's the best. It's a pretty tried-and-true Sculder story line, but I can't get enough of it.

General spoilers up to about "D.P.O" in season 3 and is about where it is placed.

I'll try my best to be historically accurate as, although I was alive in the early 90's, I have very little memory of what years exactly which things came to be, or to be popular in the US.

Unbeta'd because I am a lame fic writer. I'll try my best to self-edit, but if you see mistakes, please tell me!

Loosely (very) based off of the song "Shelter" by The XX and even more loosely on the sentiment of the rest of the album as well. (Especially "Heart Skipped A Beat" and "Night Time")

Enjoy!

* * *

_I find shelter in this way_

_Undercover hideaway_

_Can you hear when I say, "I have never felt this way"?_

_Maybe I had said something that was wrong_

_Can I make it better with the lights turned off?_

_Maybe I had said something that was wrong_

_Can I make it better with the lights turned off?_

_Could I be? Was I there?_

_It felt so crystal in the air_

_I still want to drown whenever you leave_

_**Please teach me gently how to breathe**_

* * *

Dana Scully sat at the cluttered desk in the office hidden away in the basement of the J. Edgar Hoover FBI building. The desk she sat in front was that of Special Agent Fox Mulder but he had yet to show up to work that day. So instead, Agent Scully took his seat and attempted to sort through his mess of files and paperwork piled precariously atop the desk. She tried not to think about why Mulder was so late to work. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she told herself to cut him some slack; it was only about 30 minutes later than he usually came in. But with everything that had happened to the both of them in the past, she naturally felt worried for his safety.

After another 30 minutes passed, she decided to start asking some questions. It was too unlike Mulder to be this late without explanation and her nerves were getting the better of her. Laying down the most recently abandoned X-file with a sigh, she got up, smoothed out her skirt, and walked out in search of Assistant Director Skinner's office.

After talking to his assistant, she learned that Mulder had not officially called in to explain his absence. She called Mulder's apartment from the secretary's phone, but there was no answer. Her heart sped up a beat at the possibility of danger and she stuck her head into Skinner's office to tell him she was going to try to track down Mulder. She promised she'd call in when she knew what was going on and the AD agreed, not wanting to deal with any more trouble.

Scully made her way back to the basement office and grabbed her coat and keys, careful not to bump anything onto the floor in her haste. The more time she spent not knowing if Mulder was okay, the more anxious she got.

As she drove to his apartment, images of the dark-haired agent unconscious in a pool of his own blood flashed through her mind and her foot applied more pressure to the gas pedal. She worried for Mulder; she always did. He was so good at getting himself into trouble. Everything that had happened to the two of them in the past few years was easily dragged to the front of her mind and remembered. This only added to her current apprehension to get to Mulder, hoping for all that was good in the world that he would be in his apartment.

Finally pulling up to his building, Scully all but ran out of her car to his apartment door. Knocking but getting no answer, she used her own key that he had given to her out of convenience and opened the door. Nothing in first sight looked touched or turned over; it looked as though it always did. But Mulder was nowhere in sight. She had hoped to find him curled up on the couch, forgetting to have set an alarm after staying up late watching a silly alien movie. With one glance around the small apartment, she knew that he wasn't there. Still holding on to the hope that he simply overslept, she made her way into his bedroom.

There, on top of the bed was a sleeping Mulder. She sighed deeply. But her worry wasn't completely over just yet. Stepping closer to the bed, Scully could see that his entire body was drenched in sweat and that the sheets that hadn't been pushed onto the floor were tangled around his sticky body. Sick, he looked so sick. _Oh, Mulder_, she thought to herself. Always running himself down by working too hard and sleeping too rarely.

She pressed a soft hand to his forehead and all but jumped back at how warm it was. At the touch and the movement, Mulder started to rustle. He started to mumble in his sleep. All that Scully could make out was something about "Samantha" and "ghost." She frowned slightly and pushed away the sweaty hair that had fallen into his eyes.

Slightly less worried about the situation, Scully let herself relax a little. She took off her coat and draped it over the chair in his bedroom. With another small glance to the sleeping agent, she went into his bathroom and returned with a washcloth damp with cold water. Placing it gently onto his forehead, she sat with one leg under herself on the edge of his bed. Her soft hands pushed back his hair once more before attempting to straighten out the covers that were tangled around him.

As her hands ghosted over the planes of his body to fix the sheets, she let herself think about how often she wished she could touch him. When they sat together in their little office and he propped his legs up on to the desk, how she imagined being able to tangle her own legs with his. When she lay awake at night in a motel room on a case, and knowing he was on the other side of the wall and how she wished he would silently come into her room and climb into bed with her. When he had been drugged by the water in his apartment and she had let him sleep in her own bed, gently taking his clothes from his exhausted body and wishing that she could do it out of passion instead of necessity. And that he would return the favor to her.

It wasn't all physical lust, though. She longed to be able to talk with him, in the way that lovers do, late at night, or in the breaking light of an early morning. Sharing their deepest fears and dreams and thoughts. She longed to have him comfort her with his words in times of insecurity and vulnerability and have him trust her enough to have her return the favor.

But she couldn't think about these things. He was her partner, her friend, and that was all he ever would be. She could dream all she wanted, even though she knew she shouldn't, but nothing would ever change. She sometimes dreamt about telling him how she truly felt about him. And in her imagination, he would return the sentiment and he'd embrace her and all would be perfect. But that was all that it would ever be, imagination. Nothing more.

Still lost in her own thoughts, she neglected to notice that Mulder was beginning to stir. He was mumbling again, on that sweet edge of half-asleep and half-awake. Though likely made bitter by the fever-induced dreams he seemed to have had. This time she heard her own name. "Dana," he whispered, barely audible. She took this to mean he was acknowledging her presence, but the use of her first-name melted her heart a little. After a little while, he opened his eyes, truly awake. He jumped a little and she realized one of her hands was still on his leg. She blushed slightly but his sickened body was too slow to notice, even his small jump was delayed and barely noticeable.

"Scully," he sighed, his voice deep with sleep but scratchy as well. "You startled me."

She smiled kindly down at him. But hadn't he already realized she was there? When he said her name? "So did you, when you didn't show up to work this morning. No one knew where you were. People were worried, but here you are, sound asleep, without a care in the world. Just like you, Mulder."

He seemed to wake up a little more with that. He tried to sit up but winced and coughed weakly. "What? What time is it?"

"About ten."

"What?" His eyes went wide. "Shit. I must have slept straight through the alarm."

"And when we tried to call you."

"Ugh, really? I guess I was more tired than I thought."

"Mulder," Scully said, almost rolling her eyes. "You're sick. And fairly badly, by the looks of it. Do you want me to run out and get you something to take?"

He sighed. "No. I don't want any of that crap in my body."

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Medicine?"

"Poison," he said matter-of-factly, meeting her eyes dead-on.

She laughed, shaking her head at him. "Fine. But we have to get your fever down somehow. How about a bath? I don't think I trust your body to hold you up for a shower right now. You look a bit weak."

"I don't want to get up," he pouted, closing his eyes again and slumping back into the pillows.

"Well, too bad, G-man." She got up and started toward the bathroom adjacent to his bedroom, turning the tap on the bathtub. "I'll change your sheets while you soak. You are very sweaty."

He sighed, again, and sat up with a groan.

She came back into the room and pulled back the sheets for him. His t-shirt and sweatpants stuck to his sticky body and she tried not to look too closely, especially at his chest over which the thin blue shirt was pulled tightly. She wondered fleetingly if he would take it off here or wait until he was closed into the little bathroom.

As he made his way out of the bed, she went back into the bathroom and turned off the tap as the tub filled. She grabbed a fresh towel from the shelf and placed it on a small stool near the tub.

She pretended not to watch as he walked across the room, stripping himself of his sweat-drenched t-shirt and gathering fresh pajamas. Her eyes flickered back down to the tub as he turned toward her, though she realized she had delayed a little too much. She hoped he hadn't noticed how much she enjoyed having her little wish granted. She stood up and walked back out, starting to strip the bed off its sheets.

"Scully?" he said softly, stopped in the door to the bathroom, doorknob in his hand.

"Hmm?" she called back, snapping her head up and meeting his eyes, careful not to get caught blatantly checking him out again.

"Thank you," he answered with a small smile before turning into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

She smiled back at the closed door, blushing softly and the intimate way in which he said it. Something so simple as a few words of gratitude shouldn't make her feel the way it did.

The thin walls of his apartment made it easy to hear the sound of his sweatpants hitting the floor. She busied herself with the sheets until she heard him call out again.

"Scully!" he all but yelped.

Worried he had slipped, she rushed to the door, but hesitated at the initial want to open it, knowing he would be stripped bare.

"Are you alright, Mulder?" she asked, worry seeping into her voice.

"Why is the water so cold?" he shot back, incredulous. "Don't you know how to run a bath, woman?"

She laughed and called back through the door. "It has to be cold, Mulder. You need to get your internal temperature back down to normal. You're too hot."

Mulder sighed and slowly lowered himself into the freezing water, cursing softly. He had heard the double meaning in her last words and wondered briefly if she meant them. He wondered if she ever thought of him the way he thought of her. As he slowly adjusted to the water's temperature, he laid his head back against the cool porcelain and imagined she was there with him. He imagined watching her stand outside the tub, slowly removing her clothes, watching those soft little hands move over her skin. He imagined her climbing into the water with him and settling herself between his legs, leaning back up against his chest. He imagined the feeling of her bare skin against his and being able to run his hands down her arms and over her sides and touching every inch of that alabaster skin of hers.

He dreamt of whispering in to her ear while they soaked together. Of whispering words of love, of how much she meant to him, of how important she was to him, of how impossibly beautiful she was.

He opened his eyes again, reprimanding himself for how he had let his mind run on. Good thing he was submerged in cold water, he thought. The chilly temperature lessened the hardness trying to build up between his legs. He sighed and closed his eyes once more, struggling to list baseball scores and case facts, knowing thinking about his red-headed partner in that way was out of the picture, but he still couldn't completely close the book in which that picture laid.

Back in the bedroom, said partner had stripped the bed of the old sheets and made it back up with fresh, clean ones. Easily finding the washing machine from spending so much time at his apartment, Scully loaded the sheets in but found that the laundry soap container had run empty. She looked around the nearby area unsuccessfully. Mulder wasn't always very good at keeping everything stocked. A light smile and a sigh escaped her lips are her partner's expense.

She knocked on the door of the bathroom. "Mulder? Do you have some extra laundry soap stored anywhere? I can't find any."

"Uh, I'm not sure. There might be some in here, but I can't promise anything. I'll get out and look for you –"

"No, don't bother. You'll only slip and fall and then we'll all be in a world of hurt. I'll come get it. How decent are you?

"Not at all, Scully. I'm not sure how I feel about this, you barging into my bathroom and taking advantage of me while I'm so sickly."

She rolled her eyes. "I _am _a doctor, Mulder. And I've seen you naked before."  
"What? When?" he teased slightly back.

"When I shot you. I changed your clothes for you when I brought you to New Mexico."

"Well, damn, Scully. You just couldn't help yourself, could you?"

"Not when it comes to you, Mulder."

"Well, I suppose there's no reason for you not to come in then, is there?"

Scully took a breath. She was used to this playful banter with her partner, but now she would be in the same small room with him naked and exposed and forced to avert her eyes. She opened the door and walked in, closing it behind her.

"Where?" she asked, trying not to make it obvious how much strain she was in, looking straight ahead.

"Under the sink, cabinet to the left."

Mulder watched Scully and she bent down low to open the cabinet and peer inside. Not only was the view of her ass completely delectable as the suit pants stretched tight, he realized that the mirror came down far enough that he could see down the front of her shirt in the reflection. A soft moan escaped his throat against his will and he coughed to cover it up, a benefit of being sick. At the noise, Scully looked up at him in the mirror and their eyes met. He knew he had been caught, but he couldn't look away. She blushed but didn't break contact until something fell out of the open cabinet in front of her and opened, hitting the floor and breaking open, liquid escaping and splashing back up onto her shirt.

"Damn," Scully cursed loudly, standing up and pulling her shirt out in front of her.

"What happened?" Mulder asked, voice scratchy, slowly starting to rise out of the tub.

"I got bleach on my shirt."

Without hesitation, Mulder's mind jumped to the thought of her pulling her olive green top up and off to rinse it in the sink. And that while she waited for the sink to fill with water, she'd stand there, bare except for a lacy bra. Mulder assumed it'd be lace. She seemed like that kind of woman. And he really liked lace.

He subconsciously shook himself of that image and stepped out of the tub, grabbing the towel she had laid out and wrapping it around himself. He walked up behind her and inspected the damage. There was already a white spot forming as the chemical stripped the color from her shirt. A wave of dizziness washed over him due to how quickly he'd stood up and he leaned forward to rest his head on her shoulder with a groan to calm it. He felt her head snap up, looking at him in the mirror. He felt and heard her laugh softly.

"Mulder," she said quietly. "Go lay down on the couch. I'll clean this up and change. The bleach fumes in addition to your head cold may make you pass out. Go get dressed."

Without an argument, the dark-haired man walked out of the bathroom. After closing the door behind him, he realized he had forgotten the pajamas he had already gotten out. He opened the door again and found that he couldn't move any further than that spot.

Scully was pulling her shirt over her head and didn't seem to the notice the noise of the door. As her shirt lifted higher, Mulder's eyes followed the skin being exposed. First the smooth expanse of her flat stomach and leading up to her breasts, held in a thin and almost transparent bra, black and _lace_. He swallowed sharply, grabbed his pajamas, and closed the door behind him as silently and quickly as possible.

Sitting on his bed, he tried to calm himself. He'd seen Scully exposed before, just as she had seen him. It happened in their line of work, as often as they got injured. He had only been teasing her earlier when he claimed to not realize she had seen him naked before. But there was something about this that was so much more exhilarating. When she was injured and the ER cut off her clothes, he was focused on her injuries, focused on making her better. But watching her in the bathroom, there was nothing else to focus on except for her. Nothing except for her beautiful, smooth skin and soft curve of her breasts.

Mulder sighed deeply, hoping to make his heartbeat return to normal again and make the hardness growing underneath the towel disappear. But the sighing only turned into a coughing fit. He groaned when it was over, knowing that even if she felt the same way he did, nothing would happen tonight. He was too sick, and even if he felt up to doing anything, and he barely did, she wouldn't want to get sick from him either.

He slowly got dressed, another simple pair of a t-shirt and sweatpants, and curled up on the couch, the TV softly speaking in front of him. He pulled a blanket down on top of him and closed his eyes.

Scully sat on the edge of the bathtub, letting the porcelain cool her burning skin. After Mulder left the bathroom, she had moved to take her shirt off. Half way off, she had heard the door open again and knew Mulder would see her. But she pretended not to notice and kept going, even slowing down her movements. Why had she done it? She knew he was watching. She knew he thought she didn't realize he was there. What was she trying to do? Seduce him? She had seen the way he had been looking at her in the mirror before the bleach spilled on her. She was toying with him, teasing him. She wondered how it had affected him. There had been times in the past when she had noticed him looking at her. Once in their office, she had bent over his desk to reach for a file and unknowingly let her shirt fall down. She had quickly moved back to her desk, hiding her embarrassment. After a moment she risked a glance at Mulder. He had put a stack of files in his lap, pretending to read one he pulled from the top but Scully could tell he was not really. His eyes were glazed over and far away. She had only blushed more deepyly but went back to her work.

But this time she had done it on purpose. She could have just as easily pulled her top back down and waited for him to leave again. But she hadn't. She wondered if maybe he'd bring it up and she'd have an opportunity to tell him how she really felt about him.

After draining the tub and cleaning up the bleach that had hit the floor, she grabbed the refill laundry soap and went into his bedroom to change.

She came back out again wearing a soft t-shirt of his; a simple gray one that was her favorite on him. And a pair of his boxer-briefs. Wearing a t-shirt and suit pants seemed strange and uncomfortable so she had pulled them out and slipped her legs through the soft material.

Scully found Mulder curled up like a child on the couch, apparently asleep. He looked much better already; her bath had done the trick. His face looked worry free and peaceful and he looked much younger. She longed to curl up with him and run her fingers through his still-wet hair. She groaned inwardly at the escaped thought and searched frantically for something to distract her. She then remembered that she had promised AD Skinner a call when she found Mulder.

Mulder opened his eyes at the sound of Scully talking softly. He looked up to see she was on the phone. Hearing her side of the conversation, he put together that it was the office and she was telling someone, probably Skinner, that she knew where Mulder was and that he was safe but sick and that she was going to stay with him a while to make sure he would be alright because she was worried he was sicker than a simple cold. He smiled at that. He knew he wasn't that sick and she had lied to Skinner so that she would be staying with him longer instead of running back to work. Thinking about this, he then realized what she was wearing. His growing problem that he had almost stifled stirred again at the sight of her in his own clothes, his boxers especially. Her shaped legs were exposed to the middle of her thigh and the curves of her breasts and hips were only somewhat softened by the shirt, loose on her body. His body betrayed him and he started to cough again, pushing himself up to sit on the couch.

"Oh, Mulder, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," Scully said, hanging up the phone.

"You didn't," he said as soon as the coughing ended. "I wasn't asleep. Just resting my eyes." He pulled the blanket up higher around himself and cleared his throat. "I heard you talking to Skinner." He smiled. "I hope you aren't expecting me to entertain you so much that you lied to Skinner about how sick I really am to stay here. Or do you really just hate going in to work that much?"

Scully matched his smile. "Works holds little interest for me without you there."

"Miss hearing about my theories, do you?"

"Always."

The conversation came to a lull. He wondered if she'd mention how she had caught him looking down her shirt in the mirror. Or before that when he knew she had been looking at him while he took his own shirt off. He wondered if she'd offer to make him soup and curl up with him on the couch and rub his back like his mom used to do when he was sick as a child. He wondered if he could use his sickness as a buffer to be able to tell Scully how he really felt about her and it wouldn't have to be awkward when she turned down being intimate with him, for fear of catching his cold. He wondered how long he would go on wondering. He looked at her more closely. She was leaning against the countertop, one hip jutted out to the side, looking back at him. He was going to make something happen.

"Hey, Scully?" he asked, his sick throat betraying his confidence and cracking when he said her name.

"Yeah."

"Will you come sit with me? I'm cold and this blanket isn't quite doing the trick."

He watched her bite her lip in hesitation. He wanted to tell her not to, that it was his job to do that.

"Do you want me to get another blanket? Or a better one-"

"No, I want you to sit with me." He flashed her a smile that would tell her he was slightly teasing, just being silly. He had seen that hesitation and worried for a second that she wasn't interested in him in that way. But he pushed it out of his mind.

She smiled back and he internally sighed in relief. "Sure, Mulder."

And she got her wish. When she sat down next to him, he moved to put his head in her lap, stretching his long legs out down the rest of the couch. She heard him sigh softly and he got comfortable there. She stiffened slightly at first but soon got comfortable as well. Her hands fell down, one on the arm of the couch and the other into his hair, running her fingers through it softly. She had done it without hesitation and without thinking and shocked herself with the boldness of the action. But she let herself fall into it anyway. She switched hands and let the one previously in his hair move to his chest, as if to hold him there, safe in her arms.

"That feels nice," her partner said softly, almost purring like a cat, the effects of his cold making him sleepy once more.

"Your hair's soft," she said back. "What do you use, baby oil?" She laughed, teasing him.

"I only use the "no tears" formula," he answered, making her laugh again.

"You know you're not really cold, right? That your body's only playing with your mental temperature gauge. You still have a slight fever, I can feel it."

"I know."

They sat in silence for a while, Scully still playing with his hair. She knew he wasn't yet asleep by the rhythm of his breath. The TV was playing a documentary on "The War of the Worlds," and how the radio adaptation of the book had scared so many people who thought it was a real news broadcast. It reminded her of their work, being that so often someone thought it was aliens and it only really people doing stupid things.

Mulder broke the silence a while later.

"Scully?" he asked quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Right before you woke me up earlier, I was dreaming, a nightmare really." He seemed hesitant to talk about it, like the memory of it still scared him slightly.

"About your sister?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"I heard you say her name in your sleep. You were mumbling. All I could make out was her name and the word 'ghost.'"

He was silent for a moment, like he was thinking carefully about what to say next. "I found her. But she was dead. They had killed her as a child. And she wasn't the only one. All of the other children that they had killed were there, as ghosts. They were all saying it was my fault, that it was my fault she was dead, that they were all dead. I couldn't find her quickly enough and they killed her, they killed all of them."

"Mulder…"

"But then you came, Scully. You took me away from the ghosts of all the murdered children and you took me somewhere safe. I don't know where it was, but I felt safe. Safe because you were there."

She heard his breath hitch. Just as she was about to tell him that it had only been a dream, that nothing was his fault, he spoke again.

"I trust you, Scully, with my life. I know you're always looking out for me and I appreciate it but there's something I need to tell you." He sat up, meeting her eyes. He took a breath. "I love you, Scully. I've been in love with you almost since the moment you walked into my office. And I don't care how you feel about me, I just needed you to know."

"Mulder, you're sick, you have a fever, you're not thinking clearly, you-"  
"No. Dana, I wanted to tell you this for the past few years. I just thought – I saw the way you looked at me when I changed – I thought you might feel the same way."

"Mulder," Scully spluttered, not knowing what to say. She wanted to tell him that she felt exactly the same way, that she loved him just as much. But the words wouldn't form. "Mulder, I –…"

She watched him get off the couch, leaving the blanket behind. "It's okay, Scully. I understand." He walked off toward his bedroom, grabbing a box of tissues on the way. She heard the door shut and Mulder blowing his nose, coughing a little, and the creak of the bed as he settled into it.

Dana Scully sat on her partner's couch, alone. She sat there replaying the last few words in her mind. Mulder loved her, was in love with her. It was all she had thought about for the past year, hearing him say those words to her. So why wasn't she leaping into his arms and proclaiming her own love for the dark-haired agent? Something was holding her back. The something that kept her strong through the cruel vicious murders they sometimes faced. That something that pushed away all emotions toward others until she could be locked away in her own little box. From which she could watch everyone around her but could never get too close. Part of the reason this box had formed around her was the keep herself away from Mulder, away from the temptation of having a relationship with her coworker, away from being rejected by him.

But now that was no longer a problem. No longer would there be a risk of being rejected. He had just put his heart on his sleeves and spilled his soul to her. The ball was in her court and she was ready to make a move.

She got up off the couch and followed the path her partner had just made to the bedroom.

Mulder curled into himself underneath the covers on his bed. He felt cold again without her next to him but her scent still lingered on his skin. It comforted him only slightly. She had turned him down. She wasn't interested in him, of course not. Why would she be? He was a man obsessed with a strange line of work and she had been sent to his office to debunk his findings. Not fall in love with him. Not even help him.

Oh, but she had. She had helped him in so many ways.

He laid there, wondering if he should worry about how to act around her at work after this. But it was her turn to say something, to do something. He had only spoken the truth.

He heard his bedroom door open but he didn't open his eyes and look up. Scully was probably just going to tell him that she was going to leave, that she'd see him at work. What he didn't expect was the feeling of the other side of the bed sinking down and a warm body pressed up against his back. He didn't expect to feel a hand on his back and breath on his ear whispering, "I love you too."

* * *

Mulder flipped around to look at Scully. Her face was soft, her eyes speaking what she had just told him. He saw love in her eyes, in her face. And then she said it again.

"I love you, Mulder. I feel the same way. I've been in love with you for so long now and I haven't said anything, I couldn't say anything. I never thought you'd want anything to do with me, the woman you saw every day. The woman who criticizes everything you think and doesn't believe all of your theories about the world. Not the usual beautiful brunette bombshell you seem to gravitate too.

All he could do was stare at her. This couldn't be happening. Did she really mean what she had said? Had she really said it? His eyes searched her face for a hint of a joke. A mean joke, but he would deserve it. For all the unabashed flirting he did to her, for all the crude comments he made. But he couldn't see anything. All he could see was the love in her eyes. Her beautiful blue eyes.

"Oh, Scully," he simply said, leaning in close and wrapping his arms around her, nestling his chin atop her head, feeling her breath on his neck as she wrapped her arms around him too. "You are so incredibly beautiful. And I need you to keep me grounded and honest. I love how you do that. You're all I've wanted for so long. I love you so much, please believe me."

"I do, Mulder, I do," she whispered in response, sighing contentedly.

Mulder smiled. "I want to kiss you so badly right now."

"Then kiss me," Scully responded, without hesitation.

"I'll get you sick."

"I don't care." She pulled back to look at him.

"I'll get you sick, Scully. And then I'll be the one running you a bath so cold it'll freeze your little ass off and making your bed and playing with your hair on the couch."

She smiled. "That sounds wonderful. Get me sick, Mulder. Kiss me."

After simply looking at her face for a minute, he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. Then to the tip of her nose. Then to both her cheeks. He flipped her over in his arms and pulled her back close so that their bodies met. He pressed his lips to the back of her neck, pulling her ear lobe into his mouth and sucking on it softly. After a minute he stopped and pressed his lips to her neck again, even more softly this time.

"I can't, Scully. Even if I couldn't get you sick, I just don't think I have the energy for anything. I'm sorry."  
He felt her laugh softly against him. "It's alright, Mulder." She took hold of the arm that was wrapped around her waist, threading his fingers with his. "It's alright. I'm perfectly happy just like this. We can wait."

They laid there in silence for a while, Scully listening as Mulder's breathing slow down, a sign that he was falling asleep. There was something she had yet to tell him though.

"Mulder," she said, hoping she'd catch him conscious.

"Hmm?" She could feel the noise reverberate off her neck.

"In the bathroom, after you left. I heard you come back in. I knew you were there when I took my shirt off."

He moaned and she felt the hot exhale of breath on the back of her neck. "Dammit, Scully. You're evil."

She laughed. "I also may have been using the other mirror to look at you in the tub before I caught you using one to look down my shirt."

She felt him smile against her skin. "We're both guilty of heinous crimes."

He tightened his arms around her and she tightened her hold on his hand. She had never felt so happy in her entire life. She was perfectly content and knew that she would sleep amazingly well, despite that it was almost completely the middle of the day.

Just before she fell into the deep, she heard a murmur behind her.

"I love you, Dana," it said, so softly she almost didn't hear it.

"I love you, Fox," she said just as softly back before falling asleep feeling warm and safe and loved.

* * *

AN: hope you enjoyed it! next chapter should be up soon. It's already 1/3 written.  
and just to prove my previous note, I originally wanted the TV to be playing the movie "The War of the Worlds," but upon further research, I realized it came out in 2005! not quite the right time frame. adapted though!

R&R!


	2. You Know I Believe and How

_Something in the way she moves_

_Attracts me like no other lover_

_Something in the way she moves me_

_I don't wanna leave her now_

_You know I believe and how_

_Somewhere in her smile she knows_

_That I don't need no other lover_

_Something in her style that shows me_

_Don't wanna leave her now_

_**You know I believe and how**_

* * *

A week later, all was good. Mulder was sickness-free and Scully had managed to stay healthy through it all. Mulder claimed it was his remarkable self-restraint. Scully knew it was the immune system she had built up as a doctor. Throughout the week, their relationship had changed very little even after the day of truth-telling from them both. Scully came over to Mulder's apartment directly after work every day until he was healthy enough to come back to the office. She brought him hot homemade soup and soothing tea and curled up with him on the couch and watched old movies with him. Mulder thought that the cuddling had more of a hand in making him feel better than the soup did, as good as it was.

Scully was sitting in her apartment, reading a book in the open window of her bedroom. The springtime air felt heavenly on her face. Just as she was turning a page, her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Scully, it's me." He sounded happy and she smiled.

"Hi, Mulder."

"Do you want to do something tonight?" he asked her, hope obvious in her voice.

She wanted to laugh at him, but sweetly. Even after she had declared her love to him, he still seemed to be worried about her turning him down for a date.

"What did you have in mind, Mulder?"

"I have something planned."  
"So you knew I'd say yes?"

"I'd hoped."

A small smile made its way onto her face. "I'd love to. What should I wear for this mystery date?"

"Something nice, but not too fancy. It's casual."

"You just want to see my legs."  
"You know me so well."

She laughed.

"I'll pick you up at 7."

"See you then."

By 6:45, Scully was ready to go. She had decided on a lightly-colored dress with a small sweater over it to keep the bite of the still-cold air off, just incase they were outside. The dress was short but not too short and had a high neckline. Her hair was down but a little straighter than usual. The makeup she chose was simple and light, enough to be different than every day but not enough to contradict her almost-summer dress. She sat awkwardly at her vanity table, playing with her hair so that it looked just the way she wanted it to and fixing the straps of her dress so that they fell straight. She felt a little silly, dressing up for Mulder but she wanted tonight to be absolutely perfect. They had been unfortunately unable to do much while Mulder had been sick. She hadn't even really and truly kissed him yet. She knew she would tonight. She wondered when and where it would happen. In the car on the way there? Sometime during the date itself? Or maybe not until he had brought her back home after the date.

Maybe he wouldn't bring her home at all. Or maybe he'd end up staying at her apartment. The thought excited her. She had been watching Mulder for so long, hoping to touch him, hoping to feel his skin against hers. And now it was all happening.

Now if only time would go by more quickly.

Mulder took the steps into the apartment building slowly, eating up his time. He'd arrived too early. He was nervous. Why was he nervous? He shouldn't be nervous. It was Scully. His partner, his best friend. He'd seen her almost every day for the past few years. Tonight wasn't any different.

But it was. It was different because tonight he would get to touch her, to hold her in his arms, not just imagine it. He wondered what would happen tonight, how far they would go.

As he walked the length of the hallway to her apartment door, he took a deep breath, calming his racing heart. He knocked and almost right away, as if she'd been there waiting for him, there she was. She looked amazing. He'd never seen dressed this way before. She looked warm and inviting and soft and every good adjective he could think of. And there she was in front of him, his to take, to have, to hold. He couldn't help himself.

He quickly stepped into the warm apartment and closed the door behind him, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. Their lips met gently but passionately and he felt her arms go around his neck, pulling him even closer to her. Her lips were even softer than he ever had imagined they would be and the way her body fit perfectly into his was amazing.

She pulled away after a moment, breathing deeply. "Mulder," she said, turning away slightly but smirking all the same."

"I'm sorry, Scully. I couldn't help myself. You look positively radiant in that dress."

"This old thing? Why, I only wear when I don't care how I look."

He grinned, ear to ear. "I think you've seen 'It's A Wonderful Life' a few too many times, Scully."

"You're glad I made you watch it with me last Christmas, though, aren't you?"

"Very."

Scully grabbed her sweater and they walked together to Mulder's car. Their hands found each other's and wound together as they walked. He kissed her again softly in the elevator. In the car, she held his hand over the center consul. She felt like a teenager all over again. Her heart beat more quickly when he looked at her and his thumb ran softly over the top of her hand. She absolutely loved it. She hadn't felt this amazing ever before and it was only the beginning.

The drive to their mystery date was taking them out of the city. Scully watched as the buildings gradually turned into trees and the lights of the city started to disappear behind them.

"Where are we going, Mulder?" she asked, unfamiliar with this area.

"Surprise," he answered, looking over at her and grinning.

She matched his smile and accepted the answer, looking out of the window.

Finally the car pulled to a stop. Scully couldn't see much outside. There wasn't a restaurant or a movie theater or anything like that. All she could see was trees.

"Mulder," she started, trailing off.

"Do you trust me, Scully?" he asked, turning off the engine and turning to look at her, smiling slightly.

"Of course," she said in all seriousness.

"Then trust me to take you on the best date you'll ever have."  
She grinned. "Lead the way."

It was really happening. They were happening. She got out of the car as he did, watching him stop and grab something from the backseat: a picnic basket. Of course; picnic under the stars, how perfect. She still couldn't believe all that she had dreamt about was coming true right in front of her eyes.

He came around the car and grabbed her hand again, the basket in the other.

"Follow me," he asked softly.

And she did, she'd follow him anywhere.

He lead her through a patch of trees until she noticed there seemed to be lights on the other side. She hadn't been able to see them from the road. As the got closer, she realized they were walking into a small clearing. In the center of the clearing a large blanket covered the grass and candles placed around it. The light of the candles lit up the trees surrounding the area and the air of the place seemed to glow.

"Oh, Mulder," she gasped out. She stopped to take it all in as he walked over to the blanket.

He was smiling, carefully watching her face. "What do you think, Scully?"

"It's beautiful, Mulder." She continued to look around in awe as Mulder walked up behind her. "When did you do this?" she asked as he grabbed her hand in his. She turned to him.

"The guys helped me out," he said, seeming a little embarrassed. She thought it was cute.

"I'm sure Frohike wasn't too happy about helping you court me instead of himself," she grinned.

He matched her smile. "I think he was happy, as were the rest of them, not to have to listen to me whine about not having you anymore."

She raised an eyebrow. "Whining? Well, that doesn't sound like you at all, Mulder," Scully said softly but sarcastically.

"Yeah, well, you just drag it right out of me."

She grinned.

"Come here," he said, leading her over to the blanket.

They both sat down on the soft blanket and Mulder set down the basket, removing its contents. She watched as a bottle of red wine, two glasses, and a few rubber-maid containers of differing sizes emerged. Upon further inspection, she found that one held a few blocks of fancy-looking cheeses, the next pieces of dried fruit and assorted nuts, and the last, chocolate-covered strawberries.

* * *

A while later, after all the wine had mysteriously disappeared and the strawberries as well, Mulder lay on his back on the blanket with Scully resting her head on his shoulder. One arm was bent behind his head, the other pointing up into the night sky.

"There!" he said, pointing straight up into the air. "Did you see that one?"

"No, Mulder," Scully answered. "I haven't seen any. I think you're seeing things," she added teasingly.

"You'll see one, Scully. I've already seen three. You just have to pay attention. Look at one spot and try not to let your eyes become unfocused."

"Mulder, if you look at one spot for long enough, especially in the dark, you'll see anything you want to see."

"These are shooting stars, Scully. Not Santa Claus and eight tiny reindeer."

She laughed softly and he could feel the vibrations in his own chest. "I'm surprised you don't believe in him as well."

Mulder grinned. How was this possible? That this moment was even happening? Everything was perfect. Dana Scully was in his arms, under the stars, on a date and their relationship was barely different. She was still the same Scully, the same playful banter; the same quick wit. There was nothing that would ever out-do this moment.

Mulder flipped onto his side to face Scully. He slid his bent arm out straight so that she could rest her head on his bicep. His other hand moved to tuck a strand of hair back behind her ear.

"No, Scully, because you've taught me that tangible proof is always needed. And I accept the proof of having watched my mother place presents under the tree when I was 8 and legitimate proof. Thank god I can now process that." He was smiling.

So was she. What he said was a joke but he knew she would hear the truth behind the words. She kept him honest, truthful; grounded. He needed her. In more ways than one.

"I'm glad I could help," she almost whispered. He felt the air of her words on his lips, he was getting so close.

"More than you'll ever know," he replied as he closed the space between their lips. This kiss was different than the earlier one in her apartment; there was more emotion behind it. Passion and love sparked between them as they embraced, Mulder's arm going around her middle, pulling her closer to him. His tongued asked for entrance and she granted it, parting her lips so that they could explore each other's mouths. He felt her hands go into his hair, threading her fingers through the strands. He knew he would never forget that feeling.

Soon, their lips had to part as they both gasped for breath. Mulder traveled down to kiss along Scully's jawline, slowly making his way to a spot behind her right ear that he had dreamt about kissing for years. He suddenly wondered if he had physic powers because immediately as he found the spot, Scully moaned softly. It sent a jolt straight down south.

She could feel his hands on her, his lips on her neck, and knew it felt concrete, but she still could hardly believe it. She must be dreaming, that was the only explanation. But it wasn't ending. For the time being, she thought, even if it was just a dream, she was going to enjoy it while it lasted.

When his lips traveled to that spot behind her ear, that spot, that somehow, she knew he would find. As well as he knew her; she knew he would be able to figure it out.

His lips moved up to her ear and drew the lobe between his lips, sucking on it softly. The action surprised her and her eyes shot open at the feeling. But what she saw was even better.

"Mulder!" she exclaimed, nudging him softly.

He immediately pulled away, looking at her with big eyes. "What? What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

"No, no, no, look!" She pointed up in to the sky. She saw him looking up out of the corner of her eye.

A shooting star flew by ahead, a tail long enough for both of them to witness it. She smiled when it passed, leaning back on her elbows on the blanket. He turned back to look at her, smiling as well. She noticed that his hair was messed up and she grinned even wider when she acknowledged that her own hands had done it.

Scully watched as Mulder fell back onto one elbow, leaning on his side and facing her. He leaned in slightly and pressed his lips gently to her bare shoulder where her sweater had slipped down her arm. She closed her eyes at the pleasurable feeling. He continued to kiss down the exposed skin below her throat, quickly wrapping an arm around her and pulling himself down on top of her. She could feel his erection pressing into her thigh. The feeling sent a way of pleasure down to her core.

"Mulder," she breathed out.

"Hmm," he answered, his lips never losing contact with her skin.

"I don't want to do this here."

"Where would you like to go?" he inquired softly, nestling his face into the area about her sternum, his voice muffled.

"Back to your place?"

She felt him grin. "You got it, g-woman."

In one swift move, he stood up, scooping her up into his arms. She giggled a little, looping her arms around his neck.

"What about all of this stuff? Are we just going to leave it here?" She was grinning widely.

"I'll send the guys out for it later," he answered, walking quickly to the car, ducking through the trees so that she never got so much as a pine needle on her.

"They just wait for your beck and call, don't they?"

He looked down at her and grinned. "I'm their friend in high places. They worship me."

She laughed. "Who doesn't?"

A car ride later, Mulder pulled up to his own apartment. He grabbed Scully's hand before he got out of the car.

"Why my place?" he asked as he pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed it softly, rubbing it then against his cheek, staring at here intently.

"That's where this all started."

"I do believe that would actually be the basement office. Would you rather go there?" He grinned, teasing her.

"Your bed is the only place I want to be right now."

Mulder's heart skipped a beat at that. He'd been dreaming of his beautiful partner saying something along those lines for years. Her words went right to his lower regions.

"I can work with that."

Mulder and Scully all but ran to his apartment door, holding hands like a couple of lovesick teenagers, laughing as they went. The second the door closed behind them, Mulder pressed her against it, his lips meeting hers again. Scully moaned immediately at the rough contact, pressing herself back into him. His hands traveled down to her hips, holding her tight as his lips danced with hers. Soon he let his hands travel lower to the hem of her dress. Scully moaned again softly when his fingers touched her bare skin. He slid his hands up her thighs, effectively pushing her dress up along as well. He allowed himself a glance down to her panties; a matte, dark scarlet lace. _Oh, how he loved her_.

Sliding his hands back up to her hips, he pulled her up into his arms. Scully immediately understood and wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, holding herself up and pulling herself close. Their lips never lost contact as he walked them to his bedroom door.

The second his legs hit the side of the bed, Mulder climbed on top, laying Scully down gently beneath him. Her legs stayed around his waist, laying on her back now. He felt her hands move down his sides until the bottom edge of his t-shirt and she started to pull gently. Mulder understood and moved his body in a helpful way so that she could pull it off completely. Immediately after the shirt was gone, Scully's hands were all over him. The feeling of the soft skin of her hands on him was to die for. He kissed her harder, pulling her lower lip in between his teeth and tugging on it softly. She moaned beneath him.

All of a sudden, Mulder was facing the ceiling and Scully's grinning face came into view above him. Her auburn hair fell down the sides of her face. He reached up and tucked some back behind her ear before leaning up and kissing her again, pulling her down against him. His hands traveled down between her legs and he ran a finger down her center, over her underwear. She was already so wet. The feeling of it made her falter in her rhythm of kissing him and he smiled against his lips at the reaction. He continued running his hands down her legs until the end of her dress, pulling it up around her body and smoothly slipping it over her head. He threw it on the floor somewhere in the room. She sat up, straddling his hips, hands moving behind her back.

As he looked up at her, his heart about stopped at her beauty. In the dim light of the bedroom, her light skin stood out, especially against her deep, ruby lips, her scarlet hair, and her dark, lust-filled eyes. He took in a sharp breath, running his hands up and down her thighs, watching her carefully. She unhooked her bra and pulled it away, her breasts tumbling out of the confinement. He couldn't help himself anymore. As she tossed the red lace away, he jumped up to her level, pulling her close, and flipping them over again, so that she was beneath him once more. He ran his hands up her flat stomach until he reached her breasts, cupping his hands around them softly. The erection he'd been trying to hide all evening pressed against her thigh as he kissed along her neck, moving up to her jawline slowly, kissing every inch.

"You are fucking _beautiful_," he whispered against her ear. He felt her shiver at the feeling.

She leaned her head back in a silent moan at his words. His hands were all over her and she loved it. She moved her hands to his back to return the favor, hoping to memorize every inch of his skin. His erection pushed against her bare stomach as he leaned up to kiss her lips again gently. She held him tightly to her, pushing her hips against his and hearing him moan into the kiss. He continued to kiss down her neck, feather-light and wonderful, making a straight line down between her breasts until he reached the edge of her underwear. Leaning his forehead against her stomach, he pulled them down slowly, dragging them off to her feet where she kicked them onto the floor.

She tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling him back up to kiss her lips, and shivering slightly when he hands ghosted down her sides. She reached down and started at his belt buckle.  
"I want these off. Now," she breathed, pulling away from the kiss to concentrate better. He continued to kiss along her collarbones, smiling against her skin. Finally she got the trousers undone and pushed them down, pulling his boxer-briefs down with them. They too fell to the floor. His hardness sprung free and she immediately grabbed ahold of him. He moaned, bucking his hips into the touch, stopping the kisses he had been making just below her ear.

She turned her head to him. "Make love to me, Mulder," she whispered, letting him go and pushing the hair back from his forehead as he pulled back to look at her. He watched her face as if to find a hint of regret at her words, but she had none, and her face showed it. He leaned down to kiss her again, more passionately than ever before, if that was possible. She bucked her hips into his, enjoying the feeling of his arousal against her wetness.

"Please," she sighed against his lips.

With that, Mulder entered her gently, giving her time to adjust, but none was needed. She had been ready for him for months. She rolled her hips up, letting him know he should move and _soon_.

So he did. He continued to kiss her as he moved in and out of her. His hands roamed her body, one hand reaching down to pull her leg up against him, the other on her breast, kneading it softly. She had one hand in his hair, the other barely above nails-deep in his back. They were perfectly tangled.

He reached down in between their bodies and fingered her clit and she almost screamed out his name at the feeling. She met his thrusts until they found the perfect rhythm. Her back arched slightly and she tilted her head back, exposing her neck, which Mulder soon attacked with kiss, the new skin fresh to the feeling of his lips.

Soon she felt her orgasm building within her and could tell his was happening soon as well; the rhythm of his thrusts was becoming uneven. She began to say his name with every thrust, increasing in volume as the pleasure grew.

She was shouting his name and he couldn't believe how amazing it sounded rolling of her lips. After a moment, she switched to 'Fox' and he could have died. He began to whisper 'Dana' back into her ear and he could feel her walls around him start to pulsate. He increased the pace at which his finger circled her clit until he heard her scream his name and her walls tighten around him. It was the last he could take, and he shot off inside of her, hoping to heighten the pleasure of her orgasm.

After they were both spent, he pulled out of her and rolled onto the bed next to her, breathing heavily. Looking over and seeing her heaving chest, he knew she felt the same. He grinned and rolled over, wrapping an arm around her and pulling himself close. He kissed her shoulder gently as he ran his hand over her bare hip. Her eyes were closed but she was smiling.

"That was…" she trailed off, quickly catching her breath.

"Yeah," he laughed softly. "Exactly."  
She laughed and turned into him, nestling her head under his chin. He felt her arms go around him and he snuggled closer.

"Was it worth the wait?" she asked softly, her breath tickling the skin of his neck.

"Of course. But I never want to put that off again."

She laughed again, and pulled away to look at him.

He laid his head back onto a pillow and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I love you, Dana," he said, ghosting his fingers over her arm.

She laid down again, pulling herself close to him once more, and closing her eyes. "I love you too, Fox."

"Now rest up because I would like that to happen again soon."  
"Bring me breakfast in bed and I'll think about it."

"Anything for you, Agent Scully."


End file.
